Remember (Book 6, the Redemption series)

Chapter 3

Tom waited at the front of the car while Mary quickly checked herself in the visor mirror. Still hating the way her hair turned out, she exited the vehicle. The pair walked side by side to the ticket booth. Their hands brushed one another, but he didn't try to hold it. She was a little disappointed, but the night was young. And she preferred a shy boy to a prick like Tom's friend, Ricky the Rocket— the school's star quarterback.

Twenty-odd people stood in line for the ticket booth, most were other teenagers, but there was one family at the front of the line. They inched forward. Tom stared straight ahead, avoiding her question. The answer was a complete mystery to her. Why ask her out now when graduation was around the corner? Tom seemed too nice for this date to be an elaborate ploy to get in her pants. Besides, she'd only had one boyfriend, and they hadn't dated long enough for anything to happen, so there couldn't be rumors that she was a slut. At least none she or her friend, Sharon, had heard in the halls.

She playfully elbowed Tom. "Tell me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No. It's not."

Moving away from her elbow, Tom pointed across the park. "Look, there's Rick."

The football hero sauntered over to them. A girl farther back in the line called out to him. Rick gave her a little wave, never breaking his stride. Fonzie didn't have anything on Rick. Mary tried not to loathe him since if things worked out with Tom, she may have to spend time with him, but it was hard when things came so easy to people like Rick.

Tom said, "Hey, Rocket. Thought you were working the go-carts tonight?"

Rick slapped his friend on the shoulder and gave Mary one of his patented winks. "I'm supposed to be, but they've got to find me first. You guys on a date?"

"Yeah. Do you know Mary?"

"I know Mary. How are you doing, sweetheart?"

She met his stare, unimpressed with his theatrics. She'd leave that to his adoring fans. "Fine, Rick. And you?"

"Living the dream. Getting paid to do nothing. You guys going to drive the go-carts?"

Tom said, "No, we're going to do putt-putt."

"Good choice. You can see how she plays with small balls." Rick punched Tom in the arm.

"Thanks, Dick."

"And I have a long one. Come on, I'll hook you up." He grabbed Mary by the arm and led them to the front of the line.

Without knocking, he opened the side door to the ticket booth and walked inside. People in line stared at them. Nervously, Mary kept her attention on the open door. Not having Rick's self-entitlement, she would've preferred to wait and pay their own way.

Sitting atop a padded stool, a big-busted girl snapped her pink bubblegum. She took money from a customer and handed him four colored golf balls through the window. Rick tapped her on her right shoulder as he leaned over the left one. She looked over the wrong shoulder, and he laughed like it was the best joke ever pulled on anyone. She joined him between gum snaps.

"Hey, Rocket!"

"Tara, baby. My friends need some golf balls."

"Rick, you know I'll get in trouble if Mike catches me."

"You worry too much. Mike is over at the batting cages. And what if he does? I'll tell him I did it. The guy worships me."

Tara handed Rick a red and a pink ball. "You're so lucky Mike is a big football fan, or you wouldn't get away with half the stuff you do around here."

Rick shut the door with a thud. He handed the red ball to Tom and the pink one to Mary. People in line still stared at them. Rick glared back while flexing his muscles. They found other places to look.

"Who's Mike?" Tom asked.

"Mike's the manager here. He used to play football at Glenn, like five years ago. I don't think he was any good, but he'll hire anyone with a varsity jacket. It is a wonder this place makes any money with all the freebies we hand out."

"We could've paid," Tom said.

"Not while I'm working." Rick shook his head. "I guess I should pretend to do something."

Mary stood by, uncertain what to add to the conversation. She unconsciously rolled her pink ball between her fingers.

Rick smiled at her. "Looks like you know what you're doing."

"Fuck you, Dick," Mary shot back.

"I like her, Tom. She's a keeper." Rick ambled over to the go-carts with a big grin on his face.

When he was out of range, Tom said, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. You didn't do anything."

They walked to the entrance of the putt-putt golf course. A group of middle school girls waited at the first hole for their turn. The pirate-themed course was newly built last year. It was laid out on a manmade hill, with three waterfalls, a pond, a giant lighthouse, and a canon for the last hole.

Tom put his ball in his pocket and tested a club from the rack. He replaced it and found a longer one. The pockets of Mary's shorts were too small to put anything in. She tried to not let Rick's comment bother her as she juggled her ball while selecting her club.

Grabbing a scorecard and a stubby yellow pencil from the rack, Tom said, "I didn't know that you knew Rick."

"I don't, not really. I had him in a class last year, but I didn't think he even knew who I was. He never talked to me. I'm not slutty enough to be in his fan club."